Evolution in Europe; Opposition in Bonn Adds A New Hurdle to Union

The opposition Social Democrats signaled today that they would battle Chancellor Helmut Kohl over the treaty on economic union with East Germany, threatening a delay in monetary union and adding another hurdle to the increasingly contentious path to reunification.

After a leadership meeting described as heated by those present, the Social Democratic Party chairman, Hans-Jochen Vogel, declared that the party could not agree to the treaty ''in its present version.'' The treaty was signed on Friday by East and West Germany.

Mr. Vogel invited the Government to enter into immediate negotiations on meeting the Social Democratic demands, ''either inside or outside the state treaty,'' on providing more measures to protect East German industries during the transition to a market economy. That indicated that the party would not necessarily demand changes in the treaty itself, but might accept additional agreements.

Implicit in the statement was a threat that the Social Democrats could use their newly won majority in the upper house of the Parliament to delay ratification of the treaty - a move that could postpone the introduction of West German marks into East Germany and upset Mr. Kohl's efforts to speed the pace toward unity. Approval of the treaty by both the East and West German Parliaments is required for ratification.

Mr. Kohl himself, fearing that the public will increasingly abandon his Christian Democrats as it becomes disenchanted with the cost and dislocation of unity, has begun to press for all-German elections in December.

For the same reason, the Social Democrats have declared themselves in favor of delaying the vote. Today's decision, which Mr. Vogel was said to personally oppose, also indicated that the party was prepared to do battle with Mr. Kohl even at the risk of delaying monetary union, which East Germans keenly anticipate.

Both major parties have couched their moves in terms of concern for the East Germans. A more likely indicator of their motives was the ''Political Barometer,'' public-opinion polling results prepared monthly by West German television.

It demonstrated that the Christian Democrats had slipped a point in popularity to 41 percent, while the Social Democrats had nudged up a point to 40 percent. More significant, the Social Democratic stance on reunification was favored by 42 percent of those questioned while Mr. Kohl's approach was favored by only 29 percent.

East Against West

The partisan conflicts have also pitted East against West. Mr. Kohl has failed so far to win support for early elections from Lothar de Maiziere, the East German Prime Minister and chairman of the Christian Democrats in the East.

The West German Social Democrats broke openly with their Eastern counterparts in challenging the treaty on monetary union. The chief East German negotiator, Finance Minister Walter Romberg, is a member of the Social Democratic Party, and party leaders today declared themselves in favor of ratifying the treaty.

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The decision by the Social Democrats to challenge the treaty was a victory for Oskar Lafontaine, the party's candidate for Chancellor in next December's elections, who is recovering from a stabbing by a deranged woman last month.

People present at the meeting said Mr. Lafontaine was opposed by Mr. Vogel, who was said to be wary of the political risks of delaying monetary union and thereby appearing to be a spoiler of unity. But Mr. Lafontaine and Gerhard Schroder, the newly elected Premier of the state of Lower Saxony, are said to have argued that the Social Democrats must undermine Mr. Kohl at every step of the unification process and thus harness the growing disaffection among the public.

Their main weapon is the majority that the Social Democrats gained in the upper house of Parliament, which is composed of members of state governments, after the party won the elections in Lower Saxony this month.

Social Democrats Accused

There was no indication whether Mr. Kohl would agree to negotiations, especially since all major parties in East Germany except the Communists supported the treaty.

Volker Ruhe, the Christian Democratic Party chairman, accused the Social Democrats of an ''alarming amount of irresponsibility'' and appealed to them ''not to let in a dangerous risk for the future of all Germans.''

The major risk is that a delay in introducing the West German mark in East Germany would refire the flight of East Germans to the West. The exodus has dropped in recent weeks to about 3,000 a week, compared with 2,000 a day before Mr. Kohl promised monetary union.

The promise of monetary union has already led to major changes in East Germany. Prices of many East German goods have been drastically reduced in the face of a flood of more desirable West German wares, which have become readily available for either East or West German marks. Prices in Eastern marks are double those in Western marks, anticipating the two-to-one exchange rate specified by the treaty for converting East German currency to Western marks.

While looking forward to using fully convertible money, East Germans also fear that the introduction of a market economy will bankrupt many of their industries, leading to millions of unemployed.

Such concerns have been one reason behind an unexpected independence in the actions of the newly elected East German leaders. Mr. de Maiziere, for example, has resisted Mr. Kohl's new efforts to move up reunification to December.

The state treaty basically declared that the currencies and economies of the two Germans would be merged as of July 1, with the West German Government and Central Bank assuming primary authority. East Germans will be able to change 4,000 of their old marks at a one-to-one rate for West German marks, and the rest at two to one. West Germany will also assume responsibility for East German welfare and pension payments.

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A version of this article appears in print on May 22, 1990, on Page A00010 of the National edition with the headline: Evolution in Europe; Opposition in Bonn Adds A New Hurdle to Union. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe